Top Freshmen Hoops Tandem Leave Sierra Canyon in Surprising Move

In a shocking move, Sierra Canyon High’s freshmen basketball duo of Marsalis Johnson and Bryan Alberts have transferred to Village Christian in Sun Valley. Projected as eventual NCAA Division I scholarship players, the duo performed well this past season, helping Sierra Canyon to the Southern Section Div. V-A championship.

Alberts, a 6-4 guard, averaged 11.4 points, and Johnson, a 6-6 forward, averaged 11.8 points and 7.1 rebounds, as Sierra Canyon finished 27-6 and advanced to the third round of the state playoffs.

“We just want to move on,” Sierra Canyon coach Ryan Silver said. “We’re really excited about the upcoming season. Our point guard, Jahmel Taylor, is one of the best in the USA, and Jesse Howell is also getting multiple college looks. We’re moving forward.”

In other Sierra Canyon basketball news, twin standouts Michael and Daniel Cohen have graduated, and they’re going their separate ways to play college basketball. Michael is going to Pomona Pitzer in Claremont, and Daniel is headed to Wesleyan University in Connecticut.

“It will definitely be a big chance because we’ve always done everything together, but it had to happen eventually,” Michael said.

CHATSWORTH BASEBALL GRAD LOOKS TO MAKE MARK AT MOORARK JC

Chatsworth grad Brady Conlan, a top shortstop who helped the Chancellors to the City Section baseball final this past season, is playing at Moorpark College this spring, and the freshman got a chance to meet some of his new teammates during a three-week summer baseball class that ended July 28.

“They told me they’re looking at me as the main guy at shortstop,” Conlan said. “We’ve got a lot of good players, a lot of good hitters.”

FOR THE RECORD

In a Patch story last week about Sierra Canyon’s new football field that's in construction, there was a mistake about the projected date for when the field will be ready for games. The target date for the field to be completed for practices, not games, is Oct. 6. This year, home games again will be at a neutral site, and the plan is for the stadium to be completed with seats in time for the 2012-13 school year -- not this season -- according to David Sobel, Sierra Canyon’s director of finance.

“There’s no way we can get it ready for the crowds we will have. It’s only going to be a practice field this season,” Sobel said. “The date for 2012 still has not been determined, but we hope we can finish it. This is the next phase, and there is still some city stuff we have to do. There’s a list of about 150 things we have to do.”

Sierra Canyon is scheduled to play home games at Granada Hills High. The season opener is Sept. 3 against visiting Horizon of San Diego. Kickoff is 7 p.m.

Sierra Canyon was 12-2 last season, advancing to the East Valley Divison final; both losses were to Alpha League rival Paraclete. Overall, Sierra Canyon is 30-6 over the past three seasons, including an eight-man season in 2009.